Monthly Archives: November 2015

The leaves have fallen and there’s a nip in the air which can only mean one thing… winter is just around the corner. It’s the time of year when fireplaces are lit and our attention is turned to decorating our homes for the holidays. For Southern Accents, this is the time of year when we get a lot of customers searching for mantels and mantel shelves. A great option that continues to gain popularity is the use of salvaged beams as a mantel shelf.

These two salvaged wood beams have been cut to order and are ready for customer pickup!

Visit our Salvaged Wood Showroom and you will find a variety of salvaged wood beams. Each beam exhibits it’s own unique character. Some timbers may have a live edge, while others have different textures created by axe hewn marks or circular sawn marks of an early 1900’s sawmill. Our customers enjoy looking through our stacks of vintage beams and choosing the timber that “speaks” to them. Mantel shelves can be cut to any specific size or length on location. The beams can have a rough “dirty face” texture or can be lightly sanded to obtain a more tailored look. Many of our customers choose to leave the wood in it’s natural state while others will apply staining or waxing to the wood to bring out the color. Either way these mantel shelves add character and nostalgia to any fireplace surround.

We have an ever changing variety of salvaged wood beams and timbers to choose from. We can custom cut any beam to your size specification.

Recently we collaborated with a local artist who can hand carve designs into our salvaged beams. These works of art are stunning! We currently have two samples displayed in our showroom, but can also accept custom orders for most any design.

These two carved beams are currently on display in our showroom. We can accept orders on most any custom design.

Our Salvaged Wood Showroom is open during regular business hours and is located one mile down the road from our main showroom at 250 Janeway Drive in Cullman, AL. Stop by and let John show you our current selection of salvaged wood beams.

Some timbers are available with a live edge.

This salvaged wood beam from Southern Accents hangs above the fireplace in the home of Kevin and Kristen Thomas.

This mantel shelf is one of many conversation pieces in these stunning home fill with architectural items and reclaimed lumber.

Like this:

Are you an artist, creative, craftsman, chef, musician, brewer, designer – from the state of Alabama? Don’t miss your opportunity to apply for the 4th annual Southern Makers.Southern Makers is unlike any show you’ve ever participated in before! It’s not a craft fair and SO much more than an art festival. It’s a celebration! A coming together of “makers” from across our great state.

The date for Southern Makers 2016 is April 30 – May 1 at the historic Union Station Train Shed in Montgomery, Alabama. Tentative plans are in the works for an additional show in 2016… details forthcoming! The application deadline for this highly curated event is quickly approaching! Applications are being accepted through November 20, 2015 and can be submitted online at SouthernMakers.com/application. Notifications will go out January 4 – 7, 2016.

One of many unique creations from Southern Makers 2015

Great example of up-cycling. Old suitcases turned into stereo speakers!

We love ghost stories! Two years ago we wrote about our resident ghost, Matilda. Although we have not heard from her since the April 2011 tornados, to this day, several SA team members still tell stories about her.

Quite often we will hear murmurings and have speculations about the presence of spirits in a structure that we are salvaging. Such was the case on our latest salvage mission in Spartanburg, SC. One of the few remaining descendants of the estate told stories about a particular cabinet door in the kitchen. He stated that each time he or his wife would walk into the kitchen, this one door was always open. They would close the door only to find it mysteriously re-opened. He said that eventually they gave up and just left that one door open. When asked if he thought that the house was haunted, his only response was a huge grin across his face!

The blue walls and little star stickers attached to the ceiling were reminders that this was once the baby’s room.

This crib was found in the attic.

One story passed around by some of the locals is that a small graveyard was moved before the house was built in 1884, which caused unrest among the spirits of those buried. While we can not confirm that story, we did find numerous bones in an area beneath the cellar. We do know that one of the children, a baby boy, passed away in the house and that the mother was never able to recover from the grief of his death. While the baby’s room was eventually turned in to a library, to this day, the blue walls with little star stickers on the ceiling remain. In addition to the baby’s death, we also know that one of the owners died in the house.

This mask, believed to be a death mask, was found in one of the bedrooms.

Having heard that the house was haunted, experiencing our own encounter during one of our trips, while frightening, did not catch us off guard. On more than one occasion, the sound of shuffling feet could be heard moving down the stairs and across the wood flooring. With each occurrence, there was no one present to account for the sound. During one of the encounters, one of our team members saw what looked to be two eyes standing in the doorway that lead to the cellar.

This picture shows an unexplained reflection of what appears to be one, possibly two children traveling down the stairs.

Looking through pictures taken in the house, we came across one picture that seemed odd. While hard to make out in the picture above, when enlarged, there seems to be one, possibly two children coming down the stairs. Another team member was trying to record some video from his phone. Each time he turned toward the staircase his phone would mysteriously shut off.

There was something about this staircase that was inviting, yet at the same time creepy.

While we can’t say for sure that what we encountered were restless spirits, there were many aspects of the house, like the staircase pictured above, that were haunting! This particular staircase, which lead to a dark, damp, dreary attic, seemed to beckon. Yet, upon making our way to the attic, filled with personal artifacts, none of us wanted to linger too long!

While this is nothing more than an old halloween mask, scenes like this, scattered throughout the attic, did not make our time there any less frightening!

Are ghosts real… you decide! Our stories from this past adventure are ones we will be talking about for quite some time!